In this June 30, 2004, file photo, Colorado Rockies' Larry Walker gets ready to swing at a pitch from Milwaukee Brewers' Ben Sheets in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Denver.DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/The Associated Press
Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y., will have a Colorado Rockies cap, not a Montreal Expos hat.
Walker spoke with Hall officials after he was elected Tuesday in his 10th and final appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.
Born in Maple Ridge, B.C., Walker made his big league debut with the Expos in August, 1989, and signed with the Rockies ahead of the 1995 season. He was traded to St. Louis in August, 2004, and retired after the 2005 season.
“It’s a hard decision, being a Canadian,” Walker said.
He added the key to picking the Rockies is that Colorado was “where the majority of my damage was done.”
The Hall makes the final decision after consulting with the player.
Walker batted .381 with an 1.172 OPS and 154 home runs in 597 games at Coors and .282 with 229 homers and an .873 OPS in 1,391 games elsewhere, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That left him at .313 with 383 homers and 1,311 RBIs over all.